Resource SS RU Viability Rankings [Post-DLC1]

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Denial

formerly Lunala
is a Past WCoP Champion

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Sword and Shield RU Viability Rankings
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Welcome to the second SS RU Viability Rankings Thread! Here, we as a community we will rank every viable Pokemon in rankings. Keep in mind that this thread is simply a reference list and should not be treated as anything more than that. Pokemon are arranged alphabetically within subranks. When posting about a drop / rise, especially for unranked Pokemon, remember to talk about how they actually got worst / better, and include replays to support your nomination.

Viability Thread Rules
  • Don't discuss anything in the blacklist (D Rank).
  • Avoid one liners and flesh out your post, but remain concise. This helps further the discussion and gives your post more credibility.
  • Do not derail the thread by asking "why did this move up/down". This is a discussion thread and posts like this don't add to the discussion. If you disagree about X Pokemon's placement, nominate it to move up/down. Similarly, do not derail the thread with other simple questions.
  • Should you want to nominate an unranked Pokemon, it will only be ranked if you have at least 3 replays showing the Pokemon being used successfully vs good teams and it must have a distinguishable niche seen in these replays.
  • If something didn't move up in the prior update, don't keep nominating it again and again unless a significant metagame shift occurs.
  • This thread has nothing to do with tiering. Remain civil when posting in this thread.


The Viability Rankings team is composed by:

Without further ado, here are the rankings!


S Rank
  • None!

A+ Rank
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    Bewear
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    Gardevoir
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    Golurk
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    Passimian
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    Steelix
A Rank

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    Bronzong
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    Dragalge
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    Golisopod
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    Goodra
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    Heliolisk
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    Inteleon
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    Klefki
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    Mantine
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    Milotic
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    Salazzle
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    Scrafty
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    Toxicroak
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    Virizion
A- Rank
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    Barraskewda
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    Centiskorch
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    Charizard
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    Drapion
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    Espeon
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    Gastrodon
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    Gigalith
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    Indeedee-F
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    Lycanroc
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    Porygon-2
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    Seismitoad
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    Xatu

B+ Rank

  • 1597763786552.pngCopperajah
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    Dhelmise
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    Exploud
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    Hitmonlee
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    Kingdra
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    Tangela
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    Tauros
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    Vileplume
B Rank
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    Arcanine
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    Decidueye
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    Ninetales
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    Ninjask
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    Rotom
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    Silvally-Fairy
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    Silvally-Steel
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    Sneasel

B- Rank

  • 1597764900784.pngCoalossal
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    Braviary
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    Duraludon
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    Escavalier
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    Ribombee
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    Umbreon
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    Vanilluxe
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    Torkoal
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    Vaporeon
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    Vikavolt
C+ Rank

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    Blastoise
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    Claydol
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    Drampa
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    Druddigon
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    Gourgeist-Small
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    Leafeon
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    Quagsire
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    Sableye
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    Sandslash
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    Shiinotic
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    Silvally-Ground
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    Snorlax
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    Thwackey
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    Weezing

C Rank
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    Comfey
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    Jellicent
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    Malamar
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    Mudsdale
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    Runerigus
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    Togedemaru

D Rank (blacklist)

Nothing!
 
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Denial

formerly Lunala
is a Past WCoP Champion
Reserving for changelogs, here you can check all the votings. Happy posting!

-Removed Rotom-Mow, Araquanid cause of rises. Aromatisse, Cincinno, Clawitzer, Corsola-Galar, Exeggutor-Alola, Galvantula, Pincurchin, Poliwrath, Poliwrath, Rhydon, Sandslash-Alola, Silvally-Steel and Whimsicott were also removed from D rank after dropping.

-VR update here

- Last VR update here
 

HailFall

my cancer is sun and my leo is moon
I guess ill start this out with a couple of noms:

:mantine: from A to A+

Mantine is in my eyes one of the best pokemon in the tier. Not only is is easily our best form of hazard control, its also a check to some of the most dangerous pokemon in the tier such as barraskewda, inteleon, passimian, and golisopod. Its very easy to fit onto bulky offense and balance teams and is a driving force in the meta atm. It can even spec into haze to shut down other threatening pokemon like Glowbro (along with some others like smash toise) and I feel it absolutely deserves an A+ spot.

:dragalge: from A+ to A

While defensive dragalge has great typing that lets it check a lot of mons, its lack of recovery or sheer bulk in addition to susceptibility to hazards makes it very easy to wear down, and it usually only manages to come in to check something once or twice. Specs sets are definitely dangerous, but with klefki and bronzong being such dominant forces in the tier it doesnt typically accomplish that much and they lose a sigificant amount of defensive utility compared to defensive ones. Overall, its a solid pokemon but it would not be one of my first choices when building.
 
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GoldCat

BOSSARU CUP WINNER
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a defending SCL Champion
:mantine: from A to A+

Mantine is in my eyes one of the best pokemon in the tier. Not only is is easily our best form of hazard control, its also a check to some of the most dangerous pokemon in the tier such as barraskewda, inteleon, passimian, and golisopod. Its very easy to fit onto bulky offense and balance teams and is a driving force in the meta atm. It can even spec out into haze to shut down other threatening pokemon like Glowbro (along with some others like smash toise) and I feel it absolutely deserves an A+ spot.
A quick glance at the A+ rank perfectly explains why Mantine is ranked A rather than A+. Every single Pokemon in A+ rank (lesser extent Virizion, as it fears potential Flying STAB) is able to take advantage of Mantine in one way or another. Being easily exploitable by the tier's top tiers definitely doesn't make qualified to be ranked A+. Also, a small thing but Mantine is not our best form of hazard control; Rotom-Mow dominantly takes that title. Mantine is a great Pokemon for the reasons you stated but it just doesn't cut it to be at the top.
:dragalge: from A+ to A

While defensive dragalge has great typing that lets it check a lot of mons, its lack of recovery or sheer bulk in addition to susceptibility to hazards makes it very easy to wear down, and it usually only manages to come in to check something once or twice. Specs sets are definitely dangerous, but with klefki and bronzong being such dominant forces in the tier it doesnt typically accomplish that much and they lose a sigificant amount of defensive utility compared to defensive ones. Overall, its a solid pokemon but it would not be one of my first choices when building.
Klefki and Bronzong both get either heavily worn down by repeatedly switching in on Dragalge or is being taken advantage of by Dragalge's teammates after pivoting out with Flip Turn. Outside of said Pokemon, nothing can comfortably take multiple of Dragagle's Adaptability boosted STAB attacks. Dragalge works best when paired with other checks/counters to the Pokemon it's meant to check so it only being able to check something once or twice is all it needs to do. I do agree that Dragalge's susceptibility to hazards and tendency to get worn down are huge flaws with Dragalge. However, with good support, Dragalge's pros heavily outweigh its cons. While Dragalge is arguably the worst of the A+ ranks its placement is more than justified by its great offensive pressure, defensive utility, and ability to keep up the momentum with Flip turn.
 

HailFall

my cancer is sun and my leo is moon
Also, a small thing but Mantine is not our best form of hazard control; Rotom-Mow dominantly takes that title. Mantine is a great Pokemon for the reasons you stated but it just doesn't cut it to be at the top.
Rotom has no reliable recovery and easily gets worn down over the course of a match. Defog rotom has consistently proved unreliable at best in all the games ive used it in because of how easily it gets worn down.

A quick glance at the A+ rank perfectly explains why Mantine is ranked A rather than A+. Every single Pokemon in A+ rank (lesser extent Virizion, as it fears potential Flying STAB) is able to take advantage of Mantine in one way or another
The thing is offense pretty much doesnt have another answer to stuff like skewda and inteleon other than *maybe* toad and even then it gets worn down alarmingly quickly due to lack of recovery and middling defenses. You use mantine or your team or you're weak to them typically unless youre using something a lot more niche.

Klefki and Bronzong both get either heavily worn down by repeatedly switching in on Dragalge or is being taken advantage of by Dragalge's teammates after pivoting out with Flip Turn.
Something similar can be said for exploud who is sitting down in B. Its a powerful wallbreaker but wallbreaker sets lose almost all their defensive utility and defensive sets can very comfortably be switched into by keys and zong (though they still pack a decent punch).
 

GoldCat

BOSSARU CUP WINNER
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a defending SCL Champion
Rotom has no reliable recovery and easily gets worn down over the course of a match. Defog rotom has consistently proved unreliable at best in all the games ive used it in because of how easily it gets worn down.
Idk what you do to your poor Rotom-Mow but for me it sticks around till the very end in nearly every game.

The thing is offense pretty much doesnt have another answer to stuff like skewda and inteleon other than *maybe* toad and even then it gets worn down alarmingly quickly due to lack of recovery and middling defenses. You use mantine or your team or you're weak to them typically unless youre using something a lot more niche.
Offense has great offensive checks to Inteleon and Barraskewda such as Choice Scarf Rotom-Mow, Goodra, and Golisopod. You don't need to switch into them just limit their opportunities to switch in and be able to revenge kill them. Klefki is also notable for being extremely common on Offense as well as be able to switch in once and always be able to threaten to neutralize them with Thunder Wave. Mantine can also be a huge momentum drain even on BO.

Something similar can be said for exploud who is sitting down in B. Its a powerful wallbreaker but wallbreaker sets lose almost all their defensive utility and defensive sets can very comfortably be switched into by keys and zong (though they still pack a decent punch).
Not really as the reason it's down in B is due to its lack of any defensive utility outside of its Ghost immunity, which makes Exploud deadweight against faster teams. Exploud can also lose you momentum if you predict wrong and lock yourself into the wrong move. Offensive Dragalge sets are able to check Rotom-Mow, Virizion, Ninetales, Salazzle, Inteleon, Nasty Plot Toxicroak, Heliolisk, Blastoise, and Vikavolt perfectly fine without the extra bulk. That is a lot of 'mons and some big ones so it still has a ton of defensive utility. Dragalge shouldn't be your primary and sole catch-all answer. It uses its Typing and bulk to create opportunities for it to switch in and punch holes or get momentum. It also allows it to be useful against Offense by being able to tank a hit from scary offensive threats and then KO them back.
 

Hera

Make a move before they can make an act on you
is a Social Media Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogon
PUPL Champion
Might as well do some noms now that I have a solid grasp on the meta.



:goodra: from A to A+

I feel that Goodra is easily a top tier threat, above the likes of mons like Salazzle and Barraskewda, due to it's potent Dragon STAB, access to practically perfect coverage in Fire Blast and Sludge Wave, and insane splashability in the amount of viable sets it can run, combined with solid bulk and a great defensive typing. Yes, it lacks the ability to pivot like Dragalge and has around 3/4 of the power compared to Dragalge on a standard Specs set, but I would argue that its aforementioned versatility, bulk, and coverage more than makes up for the power it lacks. It's also worth noting that these two form an amazing offensive core, being able to sufficiently threaten almost all of the tier between their STAB moves and coverage.

:salazzle: from A to A-/B+

This meta is not kind to Salazzle. The SubToxic set suffers from an increase in hazards, forcing it to take a sizeable chunk of its health to maybe force a switch again something that doesn't like Fire moves, and even once it gets the Sub up and starts using the threat of an unblockable Toxic, rockers such as Rhyperior and Gigalith heavily threaten it. Rock Blast has seen an uptick in usage on both, and Sand Stream negates Black Sludge recovery that SubToxic Salazzle relies on. There are many more switch ins to the SubToxic variant that directly hinders its viablity, such as clerics like Vaporeon, where matchups become heavily prediction reliant but still end up losing in the long run due to Salazzle's slow recovery. But the Offensive NP sets have been hit even harder by the shifts. Defensively, new checks such as Rhyperior, Gigalith, and Dragalge are extremely popular and viable, resisting both of Salazzle's STABs (although Dragalge isn't particularly fond of a Dragon Pulse), and are able to take advantage of it, either by setting Rocks unopposed or pivoting into an offensive check. Speaking of offensive checks, Barraskewda isn't the best switch-in but OHKOs Salazzle with Flip Turn, gaining momentum while disposing of it, while Scarfed Psychics and mons with EQ are also popular and threaten it equally. The only mons either Salazzle's do well against against in A and A+ are non-Scarf Rotom-Mow, non-TWave Klefki, Bewear, and Coopperjah (special mention goes to Occa Berry variants with 252 HP/160 SpD which can serve as an emergency check at full health even after Rocks but I'm not sure if those are viable), but is it really worth having literally every other mon in those rankings threaten you either defensively like Mantine and Rhyperior, or offensively like Barraskewda and Dragalge? I don't think so, which is why I'm advocating for a drop, possibly to B+ as struggling against most of the top tier mons in a metagame is a big deal. I know I've made Salazzle sound like crap, and in reality it's still pretty good, but hindered in a metagame where a lot is working against it and I feel it requires more team support than the other A ranks.

:gastrodon: from B to B+

In my eyes, Gastrodon and Seismitoad are on equal levels of viablity. Both have similar stat spreads defensively (Gastro's 111/68/82 vs Seis' 105/75/75), both check the same things thanks to their typings and wide movepools, and both have a sizeable niche that should be considered when building a team. Seismitoad has access to the invaluable Stealth Rocks, a better speed tier, and slightly more offensive power, while Gastrodon has access to the equally invaluable Recover, allowing it to be a consistent defensive answer throughout a match, Storm Drain, which makes it a better Water check imo since it increases its offensive power instead of simply healing it like Seis, and Yawn, a surprise option that catches offensive answers off guard. Ultimately, neither is superior to the other as a whole, but I think a rise to Gastrodon is warranted at least a little.

:blastoise: :sableye: from B- to C

I want to call them UR, but they very clearly have their niches. But if you think about them, are they really viable enough to warrant a slot in the same tier as Braviary, a versatile mon that can perform many offensive roles such as Scarf, Band, and Bulk Up pretty well, and Druddigon, a mon who will always get Rocks up with its solid bulk, power, and typing? I don't think so. Blastoise suffers from being outclassed in pretty much every area in terms of being a bulky Water type. No access to reliable recovery, a riveting movepool with options such as Toxic, Toxic, and Toxic to threaten other bulky Water types or defensive answers in general, and sometimes is simply death fodder against many of the top tier threats. Sure, it has Rapid Spin and Flip Turn, but the former isn't really that big of a niche to warrant a B- ranking, and whenever I see the latter on a Blastoise I just wonder why they aren't using Vaporeon or Milotic. Shell Smash sets similarly struggle to break through bulky Waters and are prone to be worn down with Toxic, hazards, and other damage from bulky mons that aren't 2HKOed. I do remember someone bringing up terrian mons with Pulse to solve this problem, but when you're dedicating this much support with an generally seen as outclassed mon to another generally seen as outclassed mon, I feel you're only showing it how weak it really is.

As for Sableye, Prankster is cool and all but what exactly does it do in practice? Let's imagine a scenario where a sweeper that can be burned sets up, and the player with the Sableye predicts this and switches into it. Now what? You can Encore it, but they can easily see through that and switch out into a top tier threat that does threaten Sableye, like Gardevoir or Dragalge. Will-O-Wisp is another option, but almost every good team will have Burn fodder (mons that aren't impacted significantly by the burn and would rather it than be badly poisoned or paralyzed). It also has Taunt to hinder defensive mons that would like to switch in, but they don't really care and most of them are running an attacking move to hit Sableye with. As for offensive options, an attack stat of 75 really doesn't do any favors for it, although Knock Off is a potent move to spam, so let's go with that. You've eliminated the item of a switch in, hope that you're not threatened, and switch out having provided your contribution to the match...even though the same sweeper can still sweep later or simply wait until its teammates have picked off the Sableye to sweep, which is very easy considering how almost every top tier can take advantage of it. Like Blastoise, I don't think it's worthy of a B- rank, but unlike Blastoise, it's not outclassed in its role (it's really the only "viable" Prankster user in the tier besides Klekfi who I kinda forgot about when making this comment), but simply does not do well at all in its role thanks to counterplay being common on teams.



I have no other nominations. I agree with most of placings here and especially the omission of a mon in S, as currently there is no centralizing meta-defining threat at RU's current state (keep your eye on Virizion though, don't be surprised if it gets rebanned), I just felt that there are some I personally disagreed with. Also, is it just me, or are there are also a handful of NUBL mons that are unranked? I'm not sure if that was on purpose and will be a trend going into the future (not ranking unviable NUBL mons), or was just forgotten.
 
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Hello, I've been playing / laddering a bit in the tier and I find it fun. The new vr is awesome and a good job to everyone who helped make this a thing. With that said, I have a few mons that I want to nom down, so here goes:

to B rank

Porygon2 saw better days for sure. Previously it was one of the best answers to Alolan and regular Exeggutor, while also checking a lot of special attackers such as Specs Espeon, Charizard, Frosmoth (if running Facade), and more. However, we now gained a new special wall in the form of Umbreon, and while Porygon2 has pivoting and better reliable instant recovery, Umbreon has cleric support and also a typing to better check Psychic- and Ghost-types, both of which have taken over the tier lately. Alolan and regular Exeggutor also falling off in usage for Goodra, Drampa, and other Psychics also doesn't help Porygon2, as Umbreon can check all of them while having cleric utility. Fighting-types making a resurgence with the newly introduced Virizion, as well as Scrafty, Passimian, and Bewear seeing a rise doesn't help Porygon2 either. Porygon2 is also highly reliant on its Eviolite to check the things it wants to, making Knock Off users and the occasional Corrosive Gas Vileplume easily able to force it out compared to Umbreon. In short, I feel like Porygon2 suffers too much competition from Umbreon at the current meta and should be a rank below it.

to B rank

Espeon was one of the most menacing threats before the shifts, as the tier had very little viable Steel-types since UU took Copperajah and Steelix. Its Choice Specs set was an amazing breaker, while Calm Mind sets could demolish fatter teams with some setup. This month's shifts were not good for the Psychic- cat, with the aforementioned Copperajah and Steelix returning, as well as Bronzong, Escavalier, and Klefki dropping with them. With the resurgence of Steel-types Espeon is much more prediction reliant compared to previously where its Psychic-type STAB and Dazzling Gleam was very difficult to switch into without something like Galarian Stunfisk. Umbreon dropping was also a major annoyance for Espeon, as it avoids the 2HKO from Dazzling Gleam, though it must be wary of Trick. Calm Mind sets are a lot worse off, with the aforementioned Umbreon, Passimian, and Drapion being able to check or revenge kill it in the latter two's case. I think that Espeon could even go as far down as B- but I think that B is fine for now.

to C+

I've never been high on Sableye and especially not after the Machamp ban. I'm surprised that its even at B- at all, I've never been able to fit it on teams without building around it and there's just better Dark- and Ghost-types available. Letting in Scrafty for free (unless you use Dazzling Gleam) is never good and especially not in this meta where its extremely good, especially when the types of teams Sableye fits on the best are Balance builds that Scrafty preys on. Sableye also lets in Drapion, which can be a huge issue if its a Swords Dance set. The new drops and unbans aren't in Sableye's favor either, as Drampa can use it for free turns depending on the set, as well as Goodra and Gardevoir. This one is a bit shorter than the others because I don't have much to say about this mon, it's just not very good right now compared to the things that give it competition and lets in too many other prominent threats.

to UR

This guy is pretty bad and I barely see a reason to use it. No longer is it the only (viable, move aside Pincurchin) terrain setter, as Indeedee is now in the tier. This is obviously very bad for Thwackey, as its Grassy Glide no longer has priority. The only reason to use Thwackey in the first place would be for a teammate such as Grassy Seed Hitmonlee. However Indeedee is better at using its terrain to support teammates, especially with Golisopod dropping so First Impression is something to worry about now. In general Thwackey just isn't a good standalone mon and never has been, especially not with the new drops. If you want terrain support than Indeedee is much better, and it also has better use than Thwackey. This one is also pretty short because this mon is just bad lol.

Since this post has been pretty negative thus far, here's a positive nom to (somewhat) balance it out:

to B+

Drapion is excellent right now as one of the best answers to Galarian Slowbro, while also checking Dhelmise. Its Swords Dance set is very menacing for bulkier teams to deal with without Steelix, which isn't hard to chip to begin with. It sets up on plenty of mons such as the aforementioned Dhelmise, Vileplume, Bronzong, Sigilyph, Xatu, and probably more I'm forgetting. Even Steelix / Rhyperior / Seismitoad can be dealt with, as they highly dislike being Knocked Off and chipping them is pretty easy. Drapion can also revenge Choice Specs Gardevoir and set up on Klefki, both of which are very good mons in the meta atm. Choice Scarf Drapion is a decent revenge killer as well, being able to beat Virizion unlike Rotom-C is good and it's also faster than the other (viable) scarfers I can think of atm.
And that's all the noms I have, for now. Thanks again to Averardo for helping me with this post and for compiling the vr :psyglad:
 

Nat

is a Top Tiering Contributor
UUPL Champion
not as keen on VR as i was in the past but i can spare the low effort 15 minutes

should probably move up to b+. good speed tier,good coverage and I feel it matches up nicely vs a lot of the top mons. not as terrible bulk as you'd expect. feliburn putting this thing at c+ is criminal and he should apologize.

should fall to d. it's what rotom-mow was last gen, except thankfully with less steam in its direction. it's just not viable in any setting atm. no steels worth trapping, piss bulk. the only thing i can envision is for klefki but there's a thousand better options and it still gets 3 spikes up.

should rise to a+. it's so damn viable, and brings a lot of value to the tier not only as a glue but also as an absolute weapon. strap a band on and watch it 1h/2hko just about anything. strap an av on and watch it uniquely handle the psys/fairies while still offering good offensive output. lure berries are optional too, of course. chople/occa/shuca all work.

should rise to s. the turnaround its had from gen 7 is staggering. by far our best removal, great scarfer, typing/ability is nice in this meta... momentum is paramount rn and nobody does it better than the lawn mower. wont matter much since uu prolly takes in a week but if they dont, you'll see it more than any other mon in snake at the ru lvl.

this guy sucks lmao. should fall to c+. i think braviary most often strives when bulky builds it can bully are the norm, and that's definitely not true right now. nobody figured out how to make it succeed consistently when it 1st fell to ru, and none of the drops have exactly done it favors since.

love jelli but just gets taken advantage of in this meta. i'd definitely drop it to b-. w/ the era of bulky wish fat coming to a momentary pause, taunt bulky water isn't as pressing of a need. maybe cool for stuff like intel/mantine but there are overall better options for those, even.
 

roman

Banned deucer.
some quick jumbled thoughts from the little i have played of ss ru

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Virizion A+ -> A / A-

quite frankly bad compared to the other set up pkmn in the tier when facing balance and other fat teams- 0 headway vs slowbro teams, struggles with many other top dogs (dragalge gardevoir salazzle keys). it does do fine against some of the more offensive teams lacking concrete counterplay and it does capitalize on high rotom usage, but overall super hit or miss and not worthy of the prestigious A+ ranking

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Golurk B+ -> A-

choice band is great, stabs + dynamic punch can pretty much pick given correct prediction. teambuilding is definitely a bit awkward with the importance of knock off, but iron fist shadow punch last can help mitigate this somewhat (also helps with some of the folks forgoing items specifically to handle poltergeist mons)

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Claydol C+ -> B

actually has decent matchup vs many stealth rock users and a good one vs klefki. teleport is amazing ofc, ru has a myriad of low to mid speed tier breakers who appreciate the free turns that dol provides. pretty great stats for defensive mon (comparable to zonger), but has a somewhat disappointing typing. on the bright side, it's much easier to prevent bad positioning in this generation thanks to teleport and boots

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Porygon2

also want to share my thoughts on p2. it should not be dropping in my opinion. referring to the post on it earlier in this page, i just don't see umbreon on the same level as it. umbreon is a massive momentum suck and wish tect heal bell is clunky and reactive to any offensive threats. p2, on the other hand, can proactively pull you forward into the game with meaningful play thanks to teleport and superior bulk (trace as well for abilities such as regenerator). i fail to see the importance of mentioning knock off and fighting-types, as neither of these pkmn should be placed on a team to handle them. to clarify regarding umbreon and knock off: umbreon needs leftovers and, despite resisting knock off, still loses to many of the knock off users anyhow.

this is getting a bit long, but i would even argue that umbreon could potentially drop, as it struggles to do much aside from switching or failing to switch into our special attackers and then proceeding to give the opponent full reign of the game while it wastes turns healing. finally, i would like to say that cleric support is not only an unnecessary box to check off in the teambuilder, but loses even more use nowadays with the plethora of fantastic steel- and poison-types to handle the most potent status

other rises i'm on board with

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other drops i'm on board with

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Good list dudes. Here is some stuff Id like to throw into the mix

A- -> A
Great speed tier paired with one of the best abilities in the game. Hits like my dad with life orb and abuses Toxic like nobodies business since the combination of Psychic+Fire coverage allows it to hit the usual Toxic immunities. Good matchups across the board, surprisingly present defensive utility paired with the aforementioned power/speed/inability to get chipped should put this thing on every-bodies mind when building.

Stay in B-
This Pokemon has many desirable traits in Prankster, it's great movepool, and unique typing. STAB Knock Off is more helpful than ever, and having access to either Wisp or Toxic, alongside priority Taunt or Encore, gives it favorable matchups across a variety of playstyles.

PS: Don't give Sableye -Atk in it's analysis, STAB Knock Off hits for a decent chunk of damage which is way more valuable than any benefit you might gain from doing so.

C+ ->B
actually has decent matchup vs many stealth rock users and a good one vs klefki. teleport is amazing ofc, ru has a myriad of low to mid speed tier breakers who appreciate the free turns that dol provides. pretty great stats for defensive mon (comparable to zonger), but has a somewhat disappointing typing. on the bright side, it's much easier to prevent bad positioning in this generation thanks to teleport and boots
This and Scorching Sands is also a good move. No suit in sword & shield.


I don't have one particular Pokemon I wanna dedicate this to but keep an eye out for good Rocky Helmet users, especially if they resist/are neutral with high physdef to water & bug. Flip Turn & U-turn (but moreso Flip Turn) are quite popular ways of grabbing momentum and chipping away at opponents, something like helmet
or

can turn that exact strategy on the user of those moves.
 
They also forgot to rank silvally-steel lol. Anyway to answer the above question, it is possible to exclude BL mons since they aren't RU by usage, which means that they would not have to be D rank. Other than sneasel, all the current NUBL mons aren't that viable in the current metagame. Examples of mons being BL but not ranked on the tier above include Haxorus, who is UUBL but not ranked on the OU VR, or Machamp and Zoroark, who are RUBL but not ranked on the UU VR either.

Anyway here are some noms I agree with, reasoning is the original post and I agree with the drops/ rises. Pretty low quality post from me tbh.
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B- --> C
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B- --> C+/C
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B+ --> B
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B --> B+ (I'd honestly take this further and nom it to A-)
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C --> UR (just use indeede for terrain)
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B+ --> A- (haha poltergeist go boom)
 

phantom

Banned deucer.
Just an fyi: remember this is a discussion thread and simple questions should be directed to the appropriate thread, it says so specifically in the OP. Also, if you’ve noticed a mistake in the OP, then it’s better to message the host to get that fixed so they can respond sooner and so that it doesn’t clog the thread. Thanks!
 
After laddering quite a bit, I've got a couple noms of my own



Slowbro-Galar: A+ Rank -> S Rank

I might be overstepping a bit here but that's what I do best ROFL. I personally think Galarbro is absolute top tier in this meta. It has a fantastic typing, a wide variety of viable sets, amazing bulk, and a great movepool with coverage for the entire tier. CM sets are excruciating to deal with if you dont have like a Gastrodon or Scrafty to deal with it. You could even use Nasty Plot if you would like a little more power after one boost. Assault Vest with Future Sight is yet another set Galarbro can wield. It's just really damn good and I think it should be S rank alongside the lawn mower.


Inteleon: A- Rank -> A Rank

At first glance, Inteleon seems mediocre due to the sheer amount of bulky Water-types. However, after spamming this mon a lot, it should definitely rise to A rank. While it does struggle to break past Pokemon like Mantine, Milotic, or Gastrodon, it's fantastic speed tier and amazing spa stat can be very troublesome to deal with if a team is lacking a bulky Water (and even then you can quite easily wear these mons down with toxic, hazards, and other residual damage). It destroys offensive teams using things like Virizion or Rotom-Mow as the water resists and with U-turn it's become a great means of obtaining momentum.


Toxicroak: A- Rank -> A Rank

Okay this is definitely a reach but I'm a strong believer in Toxicroak. It's ability to completely take advantage of Pokemon like Milotic, Mantine (without flying STAB), Golisopod, and Umbreon and fire off insanely strong STAB attacks is just really good atm. The Pokemon that like to switch into Toxicroak, like Dragalge, Rhyperior, and Slowbro-Galar, all get mauled by a +2 Life Orb boosted attack and it actually can become quite troublesome to even revenge kill if it's sporting Sucker Punch. Being unaware if it's Swords Dance or Nasty Plot is also another problem you face going up against Croak. I honestly have no clue how Croaker is still NU by usage because it's been really good in RU since the beginning of the gen.


Steelix: B+ Rank -> A- Rank

Steelix is honestly my preferred Steel rocker of choice (I prefer Copper as either AV or Band). It's Ground-typing stopping Rotom-Mow from Volt Switching around is something that's hard to pass up in the builder. While it's Special bulk is less than desired compared to Bronzong, who can eat Dracos and Moonblasts a lot easier, I still feel that it's Physically Defensive utility paired with its Ground-typing is a bit more appealing in a lot of cases. I think that B+ is just a little too low for a great overall Steel-type and Stealth Rocker.


Arcanine/Escavalier: B Rank -> B+ Rank

Both of these Pokemon are pretty good if they can fit comfortably on a team. Unfortunately, this is the biggest downfall for both of them as they have a difficult time finding a position on a team. Nonetheless, Arcanine's great speed, coverage, bulk, and access to reliable recovery makes it a decent offensive Fire-type with a niche over Pokemon like Centiskorch and Salazzle. Escavalier's overall fantastic bulk, access to Swords Dance as well as STAB Megahorn and Knock Off, gives itself a niche over Copperajah as an offensive Steel-Type. Just two good Pokemon that don't deserve this low of a ranking.


Clawitzer: D Rank -> B- Rank

I think Clawitzer's access to 4 STAB moves (Water, Dark, Fighting, and Dragon) paired with actual bulk gives it a slight niche over other typically better offensive Waters like Barraskewda and Inteleon. Obviously, it's awful Speed tier is a gigantic downfall considering both of it's competition outspeeds practically the entire unboosted metagame. However, I think it still deserves some merit as, due to it's Dark/Dragon STAB, it actually has the ability to break through bulky Waters in which Barraskewda and Inteleon struggle.


Vileplume/Ribombee: B Rank -> B- Rank/C+ Rank

These are the only drop nominations I'm gonna talk about. Both of these Pokemon are just pretty bad right now. Vileplume struggles to have any sort of merit at the moment due to the tier being plagued with Pokemon like Slowbro-Galar, Dragalge, Sigilyph, and Goodra. Ribombee follows the same issue due to the abundance of Steel types. Both are just really bad and I don't see much of a reason to use either of them.

other rises I agree with



other drops I agree with

 

GoldCat

BOSSARU CUP WINNER
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a defending SCL Champion
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B- Rank to B / B+ Rank
Hitmonlee is a menace of a late-game cleaner. Unburden + Psychic Terrain makes it virtually impossible to revenge kill Hitmonlee, Bulk Up together with its coverage in either Knock + Edge or Edgequake allows it to break through most of the tier's Fighting checks such as Mantine, Slowbro-G, and Xatu. Offense especially struggles with Hitmonlee due to the archetype generally lacking answers. BO commonly relies on Mantine or Slowbro-G to cover Fighting-types. A lot of HO has to try to survive long enough for Psychic Terrain to end so they can Thunder Wave it with Klefki but at that point, Hitmonlee has done its job. Hitmonlee + Indeedee-F is just a good offensive core being able to break for the other to sweep. It also has ample opportunities to set up due to the abundance of Steel- and Rock-types as well as Special attackers. But Hitmonlee's low Defense, susceptibility to status, reliance on Psychic Terrain, and struggling to break healthy teams without a boost obviously hinders Hitmonlee by a considerable amount. However, I think Hitmonlee's pros make it more at home in the B or even B+ rank.

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A Rank to A- / B+ Rank Disagree
Salazzle excels at what it has always had; constantly making progress. Knock + Toxic is as potent as ever but it's no longer dominating the speed tiers which means Salazzle has fewer opportunities to harass the opposing team. The introduction of Dragalge, Mantine, Rhyperior, Goodra, and Gigalith to the tier hardly faces Salazzle, as every single one of them absolutely hates getting Knocked off and badly poisoned. Umbreon replacing Vaporeon as the prominent cleric is a big boost to Salazzle, as unlike Vaporeon, Umbreon can't threaten it with an OHKO. Not only that but Umbreon isn't nearly as splashable as Vaporeon used to be so a lot of Balance and BO teams don't have cleric support to slow down Salazzle's progress. While it isn't as efficient as it used to be in the glory days of being in S / A+ rank, it's more than worthy of the A rank thanks to its ridiculous ability to make progress every time it gets in even if it's just 6% of Toxic damage.

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A Rank to A+ Rank Agree
Specs Goodra has very limited switch-ins with only Gigalith, Heatproof Bronzong, and AV Slowbro-G being able to stomach its powerful Draco coupled with its amazing coverage. Goodra's great bulk and typing allow it to switch in against most of the tier's defensive backbone to wreak havoc. Unlike Dragalge, Goodra actually has a good speed tier making it more difficult to offensively check. It also quite versatile being able to run CB to lure Gigalith and Bronzong for partner Gardevoir, Indeedee-F, and Ninetales to put in work. Goodra also makes for an alright Choice Scarf user; trading its Wallbreaking prowess for a better Offense matchup.

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B Rank to B+ Rank Agree
It's truly a shame that Tauros kinda have been pushed to the sideline ever since it was released to the tier. It's amazing coverage, power thanks to Sheer Force, and excellent Speed stat of 110 makes Tauros stand out among its B rank brethren. The 4th move is also quite flexible to the team's needs. Zen Headbutt, Fire Blast, and Rock Slide are all useful. Zen Headbutt OHKOes Virizion after rocks and 2HKOes Vileplume without. Fire Blast 2HKOes Bewear and Rock Slide OHKOes Centiskorch. It fits great on Klefki Spikes + VoltTurn HO, or most BO. Definitely give Tauros a chance, it's a lot of fun to use and won't disappoint.

Rises I also agree with:
:golurk: :drapion: :rotom-mow::sigilyph: :gastrodon: :inteleon: :toxicroak: :steelix: :escavalier:
Rises I also disagree with:
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:copperajah::claydol:
Drops I also agree with:
:magneton: :thwackey::ribombee:
Drops I also disagree with:
:sableye::espeon::blastoise::vileplume::virizion:
 

HailFall

my cancer is sun and my leo is moon
for S rank - Agree

Glowbro is S. That's definitely a big leap to take, but this mon is just dummy good. It pulls its weight extremely well in every matchup. More than anything I think its biggest strength is how well it can abuse Regenerator. Regen in addition to its good bulk and typing gives it the ability to trade with many of its checks well, which is beyond fucking insane. +1 Glowbro will live almost any hit from most splashable checks and retaliate for devastating damage OHKOing or nearly OHKOing these mons. After that it can switch out and regen back the health it got, freely switching in on most defensive mons to further recover thanks to toxic immunity. Aside from CM, it has a few other sets it can run like AV and NP, which also have good to very good viability. Nearly every answer hates switching into Scald or one of its STABs. Even in matchups with Haze mons or Taunt, Glowbro serves as a great toxic sponge and general fat regen mon to take miscellaneous hits. It's such a massive boon to any team that runs it with unparalleled flexibility, fitting onto every archetype and being a massive threat both in the team builder and in-game. For these reasons, Glowbro belongs in S rank.

252 SpA Choice Specs Inteleon Hydro Pump vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Slowbro-Galar: 235-277 (59.6 - 70.3%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Goodra Draco Meteor vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Slowbro-Galar: 253-298 (64.2 - 75.6%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252+ Atk Rhyperior Earthquake vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro-Galar: 284-336 (72 - 85.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252 SpA Choice Specs Gardevoir Psychic vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Slowbro-Galar: 192-226 (48.7 - 57.3%) -- 47.7% chance to 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252+ SpA Choice Specs Adaptability Dragalge Draco Meteor vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Slowbro-Galar: 340-402 (86.2 - 102%) -- 12.5% chance to OHKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Indeedee-F Expanding Force (120 BP) vs. +1 252 HP / 0 SpD Slowbro-Galar in Psychic Terrain: 274-324 (69.5 - 82.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
252+ Atk Choice Band Bewear Double-Edge vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowbro-Galar: 234-276 (59.3 - 70%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Black Sludge recovery
 
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GoldCat

BOSSARU CUP WINNER
is a Site Content Manageris a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributoris a Tiering Contributoris a Contributor to Smogonis a defending SCL Champion
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Silvally-Ground UR to B+ Rank
Silvally-Ground is currently, in my opinion, the best Silvally forme. Edgequake + move to punish Bronzong is currently fantastic coverage, which can be seen with CB Rhyperior, with it being able to threaten most of the common cores such as Slowbro-G / Mantine / Bronzong, Steelix / Umbreon / Slowbro-G, and Dragalge / Copperajah. Thanks to U-turn, Silvally-Ground is able to turn switch-ins such as Rotom-Mow, Virizion, and Levitate Bronzong into momentum. Silvally-Ground fits perfectly on VoltTurn teams thanks to its great synergy with Dragalge, Rotom-Mow, Passimian, and Barraskewda. Said VoltTurn partners are able to create ample set-up opportunities against Pokemon like Dragalge, Copperajah, and Gigalith. It could also use Flame Charge for potential late-game sweeping or Crunch to outright break Bronzong, but neither option truly compares to what Silvally-Ground brings to the team with U-turn. Overall, Silvally-Ground is a great breaker that's able to break through common cores and definitely takes advantage of how strong VoltTurn is in the current meta.

 

Katy

Banned deucer.
:espeon:

from b+ to b

despite its great speed-tier and spatt this mon struggles to get past bulky pkmn without any access to mystical fire it relies on the worse combination of sunny day + weather ball to get past steel-types. copper, lix, klefki and other bulky pkmn like bronzong give it a hard time to break past them, especially the choiced-variants. there also plenty of other pkmn which are able to come in and threaten it immediately like drapion, escavalier und also defensive behemoths like umbreon. choice specs-espeon struggles with many faster attackers like inteleon, choice scarf-passimian (which can threaten it with either u-turn or knock off) and barraskewda, which all threaten this mon heavily with strong stab-attacks or "chip"-damage due to u-turn.
it also faces stiff competition with gardevoir and gardevoir is better in anything espeon tries to accomplish and has also access to mystical fire to at least damage the many steel-types running around in the tier. gardevoir has also a secondary-stab in moonblast to threaten drapion and umbreon.
i think the ability magic bounce alone isnt enough to keep espeon in the b+ rank as there are many pkmn which can do the job as a special breaker better and the reflect + light screen-set is just done better by klefki in the long run, as it has prankster and a better defensive typing. i think espeon should drop down 1 subrank.

:inteleon:

1 subrank higher

this dude is a monster if a team lacks a bulky water like gastro, jelli, milotic or mantine, sure it is frail but it has such an insane spatt and speed-tier that you need a scarfer to revenge-kill it properly. hydro pump has such insane power with choice specs and the high spatt and it has the coverage to bypass grass-types as well like ice beam or even air slash. u-turn in its arsenal rounds out its amazing ability to just do chip-damage in the long run and therefore it is able to bring in a threat to the bulky-waters as well, when they try to check it.

:copperajah:

stay where it is rn

copperajah should stay where it is, dont get me wrong, it is such an amazing key-point at holding off crazy spatt like indeedee-f, gardevoir and dragalge, but it struggles with the rise of usage of many dangerous threats like drapion, toxicroak and golurk. all of which are capable to bypass copper with either coverage- or stab-options.

:virizion:

not sure, 1 or 2 subranks lower

slorbor-galar and other threats like dragalge wont do it any favor at all, since it relies on zen headbutt to get past them but then it misses out another key-move like stone edge to get past xatu or sigilyph or synthesis to stay healthy in the long run. i think virizion is still a potent threat in the current metagame but the sheer amount of bulky psychic- or poison-type pkmn leave it in a corner where it cant break out from like it actually wants to do.

:dhelmise:

1 subrank higher

even tho it might seem a bit stretchy here, but i think dhelmise deserves a further look into its capabilities of keeping hazards away with rapid spin which gives it a +1 in speed and the necessary stab-options like power whip and poltergeist. due to the meta offering slow wallbreakers like dragalge, galar-bro and rhyperior it def outspeeds them after 1 turn of rapid spin usage and it dishes out some massive damage to all of them with either its stab-option or a possible earthquake. its trapping abilities with anchor shot should also not get underestimated as it is able to eliminate or heavily damaging an opposing pkmn.

other drops i agree with:

:salazzle:
:sableye:
:magneton:
:porygon2:

rises i agree with:

:tauros:
:silvally: (ground)
:golurk:
:drapion:
:steelix:
:escavalier:
 

Aquarius Ghost ❤

Banned deucer.
Hello everybody, today I am going to make a few nominations:
:ss/Quagsire: Quagsire UR to B+/ A-Rank
Quagsire is currently the best unaware user in the game, imo. As well, with its reasonable bulk quagsire is able to wall so many set up attackers, while also having a reasonable coverage. It is able to counter a lot of wallbreakers such as; Golurk, Drapion, Scrafty, Galarbro, All forms of Silvallys(except the grass one), etc. Quagsire is able to provide a lot of pressure against bulky waters with toxic, while also hitting them hard with an earthquake. Quagsire works reasonably well on Stall teams/Balance teams, it could possibly work on BO. (I never tried it so idk lol)Finally, Quagsire is the best unaware user hands down, while also being super hard to break with HO, BO.

My next nomination is:
:ss/Centiskorch: Centiskorch A- to A
With Centiskorch's reliable coverage it is able to threaten most of its check/counter. It's a pain in the ass to deal with if your running slow teams. Knock off is usually always super great on it for HDB users such as Mantine and Zard to make them frail to rocks. Makes using Gardevior/ Galarbro/ mantine/ Umbreon hard, while also having leech life as a recovery move. The -defense with fire lash is always nice and it makes power whip OHKO a lot of bulky waters.

My last nomination is:
:ss/Tangela: Tangela UR to B
With Tangela being the best grass defensive wall in ru I am going to nominate this mon to B. For example, Tangela is still tanky even after eviolite is knocked off, it still provides a bulky presence no matter the circumstances. This mon is easily able to wall most of Ru's physical wall breakers. Its wide coverage of poison/ grass/ dark moves helps it a lot to counter things like mowtom, and it's able to use knock-off on zard/centi switches to make them frail to rocks. That concludes my nominations for today, thank you for reading this post, have a great day!

Replays for quag, there are also some replays of Tangela showing its greatness:
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ru-1177703393
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ru-1175431410
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ru-1177783706-ul9dt1e08kprkuzdchfqw521wwbd49jpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ru-1177696757-a6je0dsrlt6xdy4fcc489o0g018hkf9pw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ru-1177274079-s748izf0a47l4cjcyqxbf9uia8z72wcpw
https://replay.pokemonshowdown.com/gen8ru-1176841697-npjsqavh0jtfx5e88a8kn5ok44x3rekpw
Ps: Mac3 peaked with quag
 
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Hello everybody, with the new viability ranks I have found a few things that coukd be changed with the ranking. Here they are.

Araquanid - B to B+: This insect has a lot of benfits going for it, like great offenses in leech life, lunge and a water bubble-boosted liquidation. its offenses let it threaten many common pokemon like Gardevoir, Sallazle, Lycanrock (if sash doesn't get activated), and Umbreon. It has sticky webs, and is the best setter for the hazard, as Galvantula doesnt offer anything other than webs, and Vikavolt is slow and mediocre in its other stats, excluding it's large special attack. Araquanid also has good bulk, with a great special defense, and a good defense combined with decent health give it good longevity. Many items can be ran on Araquinid, such as leftovers, sash, and heavy duty boots. Lastly, It also has some key resistances, like water, fighting and ground.


Espeon- B+ to A- : Espeon has been a top tier RU pokemon since before the DLC. Espeon is very fast and very strong. Its bread and butter set is a specs set which hits fast and hard. It can trick its item and ruin walls like porygon, and other pokemon reliant on their items. A key feature in my eyes is how Espeon can outspeed Virizion and OHKO. It can run either psyshock over psychic to beat special walls like mantine as well. Lastly, Espeon has the amazing ability magic bounce. This lets Espeon assist its team in the anti-hazard department, and to always have the mindgame whether the opponent's mantine can go for toxic or not. I think that Espeon is one of the best in the tier.


Golurk - B+ to B: Golurk has the reputaion for being a very scary choice bander, but the way see it the prehistoric titan has too many problems to be a consistent part of a team. First, Golurk has terrible speed. Maxing out at 229 is not ideal for a pokemon with only mediocre bulk, with 89/80/80 being bad for something that will probably have to take a hit to deal damage. and Golurk doesn't really have any other viable sets aside from a stealth rocker. Golurk struggles as a setter due to many pokemon that it struggles with being good leads, especially the ones with pivoting moves like Barraskewda. Golurk is also outclassed anyways as a rocker by pokemon like Lycanrock . The ancient golem also loses to many of the metagames best pokemon, like Virizion, Barraskewda, Intelleon, Scrafty and some Slowbro-Galar. Golurk is an overall outclassed and threatened pokemon, which doesn't seem to get many opportunities.


Silvally-Fairy - B to B+: Lastly, I think that Silvally-Fairy should go up a tier. The Arceus-Wannabe can run a plethora of sets such as sd + flame charge, mixed work up, and a defoger. This variety makes it hard to check without scouting it, and multi attack almost never gives anything away and is mostly riskless. Silvally-fairy also has good resistances to dark, fighting and bug. A dragon immunity is great for dancing around the dangerous specs Dragalgae once its locked into draco meteor or dragon pulse, althought watch out for sludge bomb. Silvally also has good natural uninvested bulk letting it switch in on some attacks and firing off attacks or setting up. It has the good speed tier of base 95, which lets it outspeed most of the pokemon it is threatened by. Silvally can also pick between parting shot and uturn, either getting some damage and breaking sashes, or helping a teamate get in safely and maybe set up on the weakened attacks. The Best thing about Silvally-Fairy is its versatility and how it fits on so many teams

Phew, that took me forever.
 
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HailFall

my cancer is sun and my leo is moon
Golurk - B+ to B: Golurk has the reputaion for being a very scary choice bander, but the way see it the prehistoric titian has too many problems to be a consistent part of a team. First, Golurk has terrible speed. Maxing out at 229 is not ideal for a pokemon with only mediocre bulk, with 89/80/80 being bad for something that will probably have to take a hit to deal damage. and Golurk doesn't really have any other viable sets other than a stealth rocker. Golurk struggles as a setter due to many pokemon that it struggles with being good leads, especially the ones with pivoting moves like Barraskewda. Golurk is also outclassed anyways as a rocker by pokemon like Lycanrock . The ancient golem also loses to many of the metagames best pokemon, like Virizion, Barraskewda, Intelleon, Scrafty and some Slowbro-Galar. Golurk is an overall outclassed and threatened pokemon, which doesn't seem to get many opportunities.
It's speed is good enough. Most defensive mons in ru are quite slow. There are endless opportunities to bring it in thanks to mowtom being such an insane pivot.

Golurk can run life orb or band very well. Rocks isn't it's only set, and is probably it's weakest set.

It's easy to revenge kill, but it tears through teams like tissue paper. It takes advantage of the current meta very easily. And not much you could bring in to rkill golurk is going to be harder to switch into than golurk itself

Rocks lycanroc is a suicide lead, idk why you would compare that to a wallbreaker with rocks like golurk
 
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It's speed is good enough. Most defensive mons in ru are quite slow. There are endless opportunities to bring it in thanks to mowtom being such an insane pivot.

Golurk can run life orb or band very well. Rocks isn't it's only set, and is probably it's weakest set.

It's easy to revenge kill, but it tears through teams like tissue paper. It takes advantage of the current meta very easily. And not much you could bring in to rkill golurk is going to be harder to switch into than golurk itself

Rocks lycanroc is a suicide lead, idk why you would compare that to a wallbreaker with rocks like golurk
I see what you man about the access in, but Golurk still isn't good against the offensive meta game, and still isn't bulky enough to last in a prolonged battle, especially with the amazing Klefki's spikes. If golurk switches out on a revenge killer like Barraskewda, the Golurk user basically donated their momentum to the opponent. If Golurk had a priorty, I would say its a great pokemon, but its weakness to revenge killing and offense holds it back.
 
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from A+ to B+

Virizion gets hard walled by best pkmn in the tier which is super easy to spam. Personally I find Virizion kinda weak unboosted but also you have to several checks&counters depending on the set: Stone Edge to hit Sigilyph, Xatu or Charizard but then you miss from hit some poison such Vileplume.
Offensive presence its too much for Virizion. See: Scarf Garde/Indeede, Scarf Passimian destroys it after prior damage, Salazzle, Espeon, Lycanrock (takes like 70% from CC), First Impression Golisopod, Ribombee, Thunder Wave Klefki disables Virizion, Hurricane Physically Defensive Mantine, Arcanine, Dhelmise, Dragalge (as soft check).
Still fails at checking offensive water types such Barraskewda or Inteleon, or at least is mediocre.
252+ Atk Choice Band Barraskewda Close Combat vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Virizion: 272-320 (83.9 - 98.7%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Barraskewda Psychic Fangs vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Virizion: 335-395 (103.3 - 121.9%) -- guaranteed OHKO
252+ Atk Life Orb Barraskewda Close Combat vs. 4 HP / 0 Def Virizion: 235-278 (72.5 - 85.8%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
252 SpA Choice Specs Inteleon Ice Beam vs. 4 HP / 0 SpD Virizion: 230-272 (70.9 - 83.9%) -- guaranteed 2HKO

Virizion was probably one of the best answers to Rotom-Mow, specially against Nasty Plot set that most Rotom-Mow used it and was a pain for many slower teams.

tl;dr galar-slowbro hards walls virizion (thats like half of competitive teams) and even if your opponent don't bring a slowbro its very likely that they're using any combination with slower checks + faster mons that can prevent virizion from sweep and just kill Virizion.
This is why I don't consider Virizion A/A- worth: its not strong enough, galar slowbro popularity, many other defensive checks plus does bad versus offensive faster mons.
 
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